-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kenyans gathered in the nation 's capital Saturday for a state funeral honoring Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai , marking a final journey for the first African woman to win the peace prize .

Maathai , 71 , died last month after a battle with cancer .

She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her years of environmental conservation . The human rights activist also fought for the empowerment of impoverished communities in the continent .

Crowds gathered at the main park in Nairobi for a state service that included President Mwai Kibaki , Prime Minister Raila Odinga and other government officials .

Military forces stood guard next to a mounted picture of the activist , which had a small green shrub pinned on it . Nearby , a car carrying her coffin surrounded by green shrubs slowly made its way down a red carpet under police escort .

Throngs of citizens quietly walked next to it .

In true fashion to her cause , Maathai stated in her will that she did not want a wooden coffin , organizers said .

The ceremony at the park included a tree-planting ceremony and interdenominational prayers . The park was a common venue for her protests , including a defiant rally to stop the government from building a high-rise on the site years ago .

Following the gathering , close relatives left for a private event at the crematorium . At her request , her remains will be cremated and her ashes interred at a peace institute in the capital , according to the Green Belt Movement she founded .

For decades , Maathai has been at the forefront of a tree-planting campaign to stop deforestation and give locals , especially women , access to resources such as firewood for cooking and clean water .

The former parliament member was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree . She was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of 100 most influential people in the world .

During her activism work , she was beaten and arrested numerous times , especially during the former regime of President Daniel arap Moi .

Known as the Tree Mother of Africa , she launched a campaign that led to the planting of 40 million trees in Kenya . She believed that lack of natural resources causes most conflicts .

`` It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce , '' she said on receiving news that she had been awarded the Nobel prize .

`` If we conserved our resources better , fighting over them would not occur ... protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace . Those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have the burden to act . We must not tire , we must not give up , we must persist . ''

The first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize died weeks before another milestone in the continent she fought for .

On Friday , the Nobel Committee awarded the peace prize to three women activists : Liberians Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , the first African woman elected head of state and Leymah Gbowee , who campaigned for peace during the nation 's brutal civil war and anti-government protester Tawakkul Karman of Yemen .

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Maathai , 71 , died last month after a battle with cancer

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She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

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The environmentalist also fought for the empowerment of impoverished communities

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Known as the Tree Mother of Africa , her campaign led to the planting of 40 million trees in Kenya